Your Guide To Optimize Remote Work And Stay Motivated

Working from home or remote work might not be as convenient as you think. Right now, many people have to avoid going to the office because of the ongoing pandemic. And while the situation is improving, which leads to restrictions lifting, there is still no telling when things will return to normal.

For now, remote work has become a norm, but some people find it difficult to concentrate and find motivation. If you spend most of your career in an office surrounded by other people, it is understandable why you might be so down about new work arrangements.

Nevertheless, whether you like it or not, staying at home, for now, is the only option for some, and it is still necessary to do your job properly.

Below, you will find tips to organize your work from home and stay motivated until you can return to the office.

Create a Schedule and Stick to It

Let’s start with a schedule. As you do not have to commute to work, you should take this as an opportunity to create a more flexible schedule. See what you can fit in that time that you would have had to use for driving to and from work.

Maybe you can sleep a bit more? Or perhaps you would rather wake up as usual and do some light exercise? Making yourself breakfast is also an option.

The important thing is to try different methods to determine which are effective. Once you know, you can create a routine and stick to it.

In case keeping track of your schedule is difficult, use a countdown app or another similar tool that tracks your time and sends notifications, so you do not miss important parts of your day.

Eliminate Distractions

Working in a home comes with distractions that are not that easy to eliminate. For instance, you might have neighbors who are too noisy, and arranging a deal with them to keep the noise down could be a challenge.

Then there are other people who might be living with you. You have to establish boundaries and not get disturbed when working. Tell them that you want to focus on work and that they should disrupt you only when it is something important.

Potential sources of procrastination are also there. You do not have in-person supervision, meaning that you might be tempted to browse social media or even play video games.

The problem is that these distractions might seem like no big deal if you do it only for a few minutes, but it could also lead to losing track of time. You do not want to work late because you were busy doing things unrelated to work.

Communicate With Others

As you spend most of your time inside, you start to feel socially isolated. It is not good for your mental health. 

The days you spend chatting with coworkers are not the same when you have to stay at home. However, it does not mean that you have no option to continue your relationship with coworkers you are close with.

Whenever you have time, get in touch via smartphone or computer and chat with them. Whether it is a video chat or texting is not important. What matters is that you are taking the time to talk to others and get a change of pace.

Also, speaking of communication, since you cannot meet and discuss work-related matters in person, it is crucial to work on your communication. Send follow-ups and request answers that others got the message and know what to do.

Miscommunication is more likely to occur when you are sending emails or text messages. Making a mistake because someone did not get the message is quite demotivating, so it is better to avoid those by putting a little more effort into communicating.

Optimize Your Computer

Lackluster computer performance is a problem that you want to avoid. Make sure that you clean the dust inside the device, take care of the drive clutter, disable unnecessary background applications, install updates, and do everything you can to maintain the computer in good condition.

Remote work also relies on the internet a lot. If you have issues with your ISP, talk to them and look for a solution. And if things get really bad, consider switching to another service provider that offers better internet.

Reward Yourself

Hardly anything motivates you more than a reward. Knowing that there is something good waiting for you is bound to bring motivation.

Perhaps you are a fan of sports and want to watch a basketball or football game in the evening? Or maybe a new episode of your favorite TV show will be out by the time you finish your work? 

Tricking your brain into thinking that the effort of doing your work is worth it is one of those tips that are quite useful.